The U.S. navy says it has rescued 10 mariners who claim to be Iranian from a burning boat in the Gulf of Oman.

Wednesday’s rescue by the USS James E. Williams is at least the seventh involving Iranian sailors in nearly two years and is a reminder of U.S. efforts to demonstrate the humanitarian value of its naval presence in the Gulf, a strategic waterway the Iranian government has threatened to close in retaliation for international sanctions over its nuclear program.